The 1990 Institute began as an economic and social research think tank aimed at assisting China during a period of modernization. We hosted numerous scholar conferences and joint research projects with the Federal Reserve Bank and other groups. In addition, the 1990 Institute funded Chinese scholars that were in the United States to collaborate with U.S. experts on writing reports and issue papers related to monetary and social reforms. In 1994, our U.S.-China collaborative research report titled China’s Economic Reform was presented to President Jiang Zemin at a large convention. It was well-received and later became a textbook in Stanford University’s economics courses. The 1990 Institute is one of three organizations examined by Norton Wheeler of the Tennessee University at Chattanooga in his book, The Role of American NGOs in China's Modernization: Invited Influence, as having an unconventional approach to U.S.-China relations which yielded positive results in the early years of U.S.-China engagement.

 

During our second decade, we pivoted our focus to cultural and philanthropic projects in China and collaborated with the All China Women’s Federation (ACWF). Our major programs include the Spring Bud Girls Education Program, where 1,000 girls from poor rural families were given scholarships and all of their expenses for school were covered. The goal was for the participants to continue their schooling and attain the highest level of education they could achieve. Our Pucheng Women’s Sustainable Development Association microfinance program provided funds, governance, structure, and support to this rural microfinance operation and was recognized by the Chinese government as a model microfinance operation. We also partnered with the China National Children’s Center to conduct a number of U.S.-China children’s exchange programs, starting with a Children’s Art and the Environment Contest. Over one million children all over China participated.

 

During our third decade, as China developed economically and brought hundreds of millions of people into the middle class, we turned our attention to educating young Americans about China. Very little about modern China is taught in secondary schools in the U.S. In 2013, we launched an annual two-day teachers’ professional development program for sixth to twelfth grade teachers called CHINA NOW | Teachers Workshop. In 2020, we partnered with Asia Society Northern California to expand the impact of this workshop. For several years, we also conducted a nationwide video contest called Youth Voices on China, a digital learning initiative that empowered students to learn and create videos on U.S.-China topics. We started a College Essay Contest in 2019 to encourage college students to engage in a deep understanding of modern China.

 

Now at the end of the 1990 Institute’s third decade, there has been increasing anti-Asian American sentiment in the U.S. caused by adversarial and competitive tensions between the U.S and China. The negative sentiments are further exacerbated by the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, the 1990 Institute will continue its vision to achieve a positive environment for Asian Americans and to create a constructive dialogue in U.S.-China relations. We are initiating innovative programs involving video storytelling, organizing objective and analytical panel discussions, collaborating with advisors and various institutions to curate a library of materials into a reference hub, and employing technology and networking to achieve our mission of broadening understanding and trust and to increase the impact of our programs.